


Laptops, Lattes, and Lovers

by TheJediAssassinGirl



Category: Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: Felisian AU, Fluff, M/M, Writer!Crutchie, You already know it’s based on Newsies Live, and Andrew Keenan-Bolger is a ray of sunshine, barista!Jack, bc Jeremy Jordan is a god, coffee shop AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-23
Updated: 2019-04-23
Packaged: 2020-01-25 13:44:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 911
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18575665
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheJediAssassinGirl/pseuds/TheJediAssassinGirl
Summary: Jack is working in a coffee shop to fund his artistic dreams. Crutchie is an author working on a gay young adult fantasy novel. They have a routine, and Jack is head over heels.





	Laptops, Lattes, and Lovers

Jack’s ears pricked up as the bell above the door of the café he worked at rang, signaling the entrance of another customer. He grinned as he saw his favorite customer come in, his fluffy golden tail swishing back and forth in a relaxed way. 

“Mornin’, Crutchie!” Jack called. 

“Mornin’, Jack!” Crutchie called back, his ears swiveling towards the man behind the counter.

“The usual?” Jack asked.

“You betcha!” Crutchie replied, sitting in his usual pillow-filled nook and pulling out his laptop. 

“Any requests for your latte art today?” Jack asked, already taking Crutchie’s usual double chocolate muffin out of the display case,

“Surprise me,” Crutchie replied, like he always did. Jack smiled as he set about making Crutchie’s coffee, using colored milk foam to paint a sunset on top with two silhouetted cats watching it. He brought the tray over to Crutchie.

“There ya go, Mr. Morris,” he teased.

“Why, thank you, mr. Kelly!” Crutchie replied. “The art is beautiful, as always.”

“It’s my pleasure,” Jack said. “Lemme know if you need anything else, okay?”

“You got it!” Crutchie said, taking a bite of muffin as he curled up in the nook, his tail wrapped around himself as he started to write. Jack smiled and went back behind the counter. This had been their routine for almost six months now. Jack remembered being bored out of his mind the first day Crutchie had come in, but that all changed when he caught sight of the beautiful blond felisian. Crutchie would come in early in the morning and stay in the café, writing, until the café closed around 5 in the evening. This schedule had stayed as consistent as Crutchie’s food orders: a double chocolate muffin and a latte for breakfast, a ham and cheese panini, chips, and apple juice for lunch. It had taken about a month of watching Crutchie write before Jack had been able to work up the courage to talk to him.

 

_ One day, between breakfast rush and lunch rush, Jack made himself a coffee and went over to Crutchie’s nook.  _

_ “Mind if I join ya?” He asked. Crutchie looked up from his laptop, tilting his head to the side. _

_ “No offense, but don’t ya have work ta do?” He replied. _

_ “None taken,” Jack assured him. “You’s the only one in the place right now, an’ I’ve finished washin’ dishes.” _

_ “Well, in that case, feel free,” Crutchie said, smiling. _

_ “I’m sure you’ve gotten this question about a million times, and you’s probably real sick a it, but what’re ya writin’?” Jack asked, his mottled black and brown ears pricked with interest. _

_ “A novel,” Crutchie responded absentmindedly as he continued writing.  _

_ “Cool!” Jack said. “What’s it about, if ya don’t mind me askin’?” Crutchie looked up in surprise. _

_ “You wanna hear about my book?” He asked.  _

_ “Sure!” Jack said. “If ya wanna tell me about it.” _

_ “Well, it’s a young adult fantasy novel,” Crutchie began hesitantly. “It’s about a human prince, an’ a poor felisian boy who sells flowers for a livin’. The prince gets curious about the outside world, so he disguises himself, y’know like Jasmine does in Aladdin? An’ he meets this boy an’ they start ta fall in love.” He blushed. “It’s kinda stupid.” _

_ “Nah, It ain’t stupid,” Jack said, enthralled. “I’d love ta read a book like that! It’s tacklin’ gay representation an’ felisian representation all in one!” _

_ “It’s the book that I wish I’d been able ta read when I was younger,” Crutchie said.  _

_ “Yeah,” Jack replied. “Hey, if ya don’t have someone already lined up, maybe I could do the cover art for it.” _

_ “Oh!” Crutchie said. “You’s an artist?”  _

_ “Yeah,” Jack said. “I do the art thing on weekends, mainly. I ain’t famous or nothin’, so this job here’s just a way for me ta pay the bills.” _

_ “Well, I haven’t even begun ta think about covers an’ all,” Crutchie said. “I don’t even know whether this’ll see the light a day, but if it does, I’ll be sure ta keep ya in mind!” Jack smiled.  _ The memory faded. Jack was back behind the counter, wiping up as he watched Crutchie, brow furrowed in concentration as he wrote. The two had become good friends over time, but a little voice in Jack’s head kept telling Jack that he wanted them to be more. He checked his watch. It was almost noon.

“Hey, Crutchie,” he called. Crutchie looked up, his ears flicking toward Jack.

“Yeah?” He replied.

“It’s almost noon,” Jack said. “Want me to get started on your lunch?”

“Yes, please,” Crutchie said, smiling. Jack smiled too. He made Crutchie’s sandwich and grabbed a bottle of apple juice from the fridge. After a moment, he grabbed a cookie from the display case and put it on the plate next to the sandwich.

“Here ya go!” He said, delivering the tray to Crutchie. Crutchie looked at the tray, then looked at Jack, head tilting to the side.

“I didn’t order a cookie,” he said. 

“I’ve seen ya eyein’ ‘em for a while,” Jack replied. “Don’t worry, it’s on the house. Maybe you can repay me by shootin’ me a text sometime.” He handed Crutchie a small slip of paper with his number written on it. Crutchie blushed.

“Ya want me ta text you?” He asked. 

“If you can find time in your busy schedule,” Jack teased. Crutchie smiled.

“I suppose I could make time for my loyal coffee boy,” he teased back.


End file.
